The world's most valuable company could be going public

Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil behemoth could be coming to the
public markets.

According to
a report in The Economist, Saudi Aramco, the state-owned
company that is the world's largest oil producer, could soon be
listed on a public exchange. Muhammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's
deputy crown prince, told The Economist a decision by the kingdom
regarding an offering of Aramco would happen in the next few
months.

Saudi officials say Saudi Aramco is worth "trillions of dollars,"
which would make it by far the largest company in the world.

Salman told The Economist: "Personally, I'm enthusiastic about
this step. I believe it is in the interest of the Saudi market,
and it is in the interest of Aramco."

The Economist's report added that options being considered for an
Aramco public float included "listing some of its
petrochemical and other 'downstream' firms, to selling shares in
the parent company, which includes the core business of producing
crude."

This potential market debut for the company comes amid a
continued slide in the price of crude oil.

Crude hit a 14-year low on Thursday, with West Texas Intermediate
crude, the US benchmark, falling as low as $32.10 a barrel. Brent
crude, the international benchmark, ticked as low as $32.17.